Friday, March 30, 2012

If you've ever thought about trying out fly fishing here's a free, low impact web based introduction to a sport that will bring you a lifetime of pleasure. If you already fly fish, you already know that but this series is also designed for you too. The Chapters are laid out so you can pick and choose the skills and techniques that are important to you. If you're new to the game you'll want to start at the beginning and build on your learning at your own pace.

These guys have done an excellent job of not just teaching the "how" but they also show you the "why". Check it out here: Fly Fishing Learning Center

Fly fishing isn't just about trout. Sunfish to marlin are all within the reach of the fly rod!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the
appointments of 23 individuals to the Sport Fishing and Boating
Partnership Council. The panel was created in 1993 to advise the
Secretary on significant recreational fishing, boating and conservation issues.

“With its vast experience and expertise in boating, fishing and
conservation, the council will continue to play a vital role in
achieving the goals of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors
initiative to foster a 21st century approach to conservation and outdoor
recreation,” Salazar said. “Thanks to the council’s ongoing work, the
nation is benefitting not only from more opportunities for outdoor
recreation but also from the $3.6 billion in economic activity generated
by fishing and boating, which supports 68,000 jobs across the nation.”

"In order to maintain the environmental, recreational and economic
benefits aquatic resources provide to our nation and local communities,
the Fish and Wildlife Service must increase its ability to deliver
science-driven conservation at a watershed level," said Fish and
Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "The council's expertise and advice
will continue to play a key role in helping us improve program delivery
and enhance our work with partners and stakeholders to further our
shared goal of the stewardship of these important resources."

The following individuals –
whose terms begin immediately – have been appointed to serve on the Council for the upcoming
two-year term:

James Adams – States Organization for Boating Access

John Arway – Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Douglass Boyd – Coastal Conservation Association

Jeffrey Crane – Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

Thomas Dammrich – National Marine Manufacturers Association

Roy Elicker - Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Frederick Harris – American Fisheries Society

Betty Huskins – Southeastern Tourism Policy Council

Scott Kovaravics – Izaak Walton League of America

Ryck Lydecker – Boat Owners Association of the United States

Eugene “Mac” McKeever III – L.L. Bean

Jerry McKinnis – Bass Anglers Sportsman Society

Michael Nussman – American Sportfishing Association

Geoffrey Ratté – FishingKids

John Sprague - Marine Industries Association of Florida

James Zorn – Great Lake Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission

Seven alternate Council appointments, who may attend meetings and
vote when the primary member can't attend, were also announced.

The alternates are: Janine Belleque of the States Organization for
Boating Access; Noreen Clough of Bass Anglers Sportsmans Society;
Christopher Edmonston of the Boat Owners Association of the United
States; Roger Fuhrman of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife;
Michael Grayum of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission; Gary Kania
of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; and Theodore Venker of the
Coastal Conservation Association.

During its 19 year history, the Council’s advice and recommendations
have played a major role in providing guidance to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service on its fisheries program and improving the efficiency
of grant programs delivered through the Wildlife and Sport Fish
Restoration Program.

The Council played a leading role in the development of the National
Fish Habitat Action Plan, a groundbreaking, partnership-driven strategy
to restore fisheries and aquatic habitat across the nation. It also
continues to offer support and guidance to the Recreational Boating and
Fishing Foundation, a non-profit organization it helped establish and
whose mission is to increase the number of conservation-minded
recreational anglers and boaters.

During 2012, the Council is expected to lend
assistance to the Service’s fisheries program in updating and revising
its strategic vision and plan.

The fisheries program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in
association with state agencies and other conservation organizations,
contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000
jobs across the country, according to a 2011 report released by the agency.

From May through July, Orvis
will offer free fly fishing lessons nationwide through Orvis retail stores and
participating dealers (www.orvis.com/ff101).
This season Orvis hopes to introduce even more outdoor lovers to the sport with
Fly Fishing 101 and 201 beginning in May 2012. Classes are complimentary
to the public and a great way for families and friends to enjoy the
outdoors together.

“The past two years' success of
Fly Fishing 101 is truly amazing and encouraging,” explains Tom Rosenbauer,
Marketing Director of The Orvis Company. “Based on the success of the program,
we've been delighted to welcome many thousands of novice and advancing students
to the joys of fly fishing through Fly Fishing 101 and 201. Our goal is to
encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to come learn more about the
fascination of fly fishing. The classes are unique opportunities to enjoy a new
sport and the success of the program speaks volumes to what folks are seeking in
terms of healthy outdoor recreational activities for themselves and their
families.”

Trout Unlimited and the
Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) will be lending their support again this year
with volunteers at the event and free memberships to their organization for
attendees of the class.

Fly Fishing 101/201
Highlights -- The 101 course will consist of two
parts—one hour of casting instruction and one hour of rigging. Most participants
are true beginners so keeping the focus on learning these basic skills is the
best place to start. FF201 classes are conducted on the water, with a lower
instructor/student ratio. The main thrust of the 201 course is getting those
interested in taking the next step in fly fishing on the water at a local
location where they have a great chance at catching their first fish. Private
water, local bass/bluegill ponds, or a recently stocked river or creek are
typical class sites.

Once instruction is
completed, each group attendee will receive a $25 coupon off any purchase of $50
or more and other coupons good toward Orvis gear. Additionally, each group
attendee will receive a certificate for a FREE Trout Unlimited membership and a
FREE membership to the Federation of Fly Fishers—a $70 value. The total free
package value including the instruction is valued at over $150.

To get
started in fly fishing and to make it more accessible to start in the sport,
participants will also receive discounted offers on a fishing lanyard with tools
and a beginner's rod outfit—all the basics needed to hit the water after the
class.

Event Dates (exact times
determined by store):

Fly
Fishing 101

Saturday, May 5Sunday, May
6Saturday May 12Sunday, May 13Saturday, May 26Sunday, May
27

Saturday,
June 2Sunday, June 3Saturday, June 16Sunday, June 17Saturday,
June 23Sunday, June 24

Fly
Fishing 201

Saturday, May
19Sunday, May 20

Saturday,
June 9Sunday June 10

Sunday, July
1

About The Orvis
CompanyFounded in 1856, Orvis pioneered
the mail order industry in the United States, operates more than 80 retail
stores in the U.S. and the U.K. including its Flagship store in Manchester, VT;
and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide. Orvis donates five
percent of pre-tax profits each year to protecting nature. You can read more
about Orvis on their website at www.orvis.com.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Wild Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick's Miramichi River are now looking at a new threat in the form of an invasive species. The culprit is the smallmouth bass, a popular sport fish that has made it's way into Miramichi Lake and is currently found in 68 other other lakes in the province.

So far, the smallmouth hasn't made it into the river and to help keep it that way Department of Fisheries and Oceans personnel have erected a mesh barrier to keep the fish from invading the river. Andrea Locke, a research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said they also have a large-scale program to remove smallmouth bass from Miramichi Lake which so far has removed thousands of bass.

Mark Hambrook, president of the Miramichi Salmon Association says "this as the biggest threat to Atlantic salmon that we have encountered in a long time"

Hambrook said smallmouth bass most likely were introduced to the lake by people, a sentiment shared by Locke who agrees, adding that most of the introductions of smallmouth bass in New Brunswick have been illegal.

Hambrook said some fisheries organizations would like to see the government use a poison like Rotenone to kill all of the
fish in Miramichi Lake, including the bass.

Hopefully the battle will be won in favor of the salmon and we won't see bass fishing tournaments on the Miramichi.

Grants awarded by conservation group support land protection projects throughout Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Trout Unlimited issued its first-ever Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund
grants to land trusts seeking to acquire land and conservation
easements that protect native trout habitat in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed.
The grants, totaling over $53,000, will fund projects to protect
Eastern brook trout habitat. The funding comes from a grant from the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.

Five grants were awarded to organizations in New York, Virginia and
Pennsylvania. Grant recipients include the Finger Lakes Land Trust in
New York, the Lancaster County Conservancy in Pennsylvania and the
Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

The grants will pay for conservation easement and land transaction
costs, including appraisals, boundary surveys and attorneys' fees.

"Trout Unlimited has long recognized the importance of private land
conservation as a tool to protect coldwater fisheries," said Elizabeth
Maclin, vice president for Eastern conservation at Trout Unlimited.
"These grants allow us to put this philosophy into practice throughout
the Chesapeake Bay watershed where loss of native brook trout has been
particularly severe" Maclin said.

The Finger Lakes Land Trust will use its grant for a 128-acre
conservation easement project on the East Branch of Owego Creek near
Richford, N.Y. The creek lies in a portion of the Chesapeake Bay
watershed designated as "best for protection" by the Eastern Brook Trout
Joint Venture, a collaboration of agencies and non-profits seeking to
protect, restore and enhance brook trout populations throughout their
historic range. The New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation holds public fishing rights on lands adjacent to the parcel
and has expressed an interest in acquiring them on this parcel if
successfully preserved by the Trust.

Three grants to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation totaling just over
$29,000 will be used to acquire conservation easements on brook trout
streams in Bath, Highland and Roanoke counties. One conservation
easement will be acquired by the foundation on the upper Jackson River
south of Monterey, Va.

The Lancaster County Conservancy will use its $12,000 grant toward
the acquisition of land for a 75-acre publicly-accessible nature
preserve in the Pequea Creek watershed in Martic Township.

The Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund was established in 2010 to help
Trout Unlimited achieve its strategic plan commitment to protect key
watersheds and riparian areas on private lands. Land trusts or
government agencies in need of funding to protect trout and salmon
habitat through land or conservation easement acquisition may apply to
Trout Unlimited for Coldwater Land Conservancy Fund support after first
seeking the endorsement of a Trout Unlimited chapter or state council.
Trout Unlimited intends to broaden the Fund’s geographic scope over time
as it demonstrates success in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Anglers from Around the World
Help Orvis Program the Web’s Most Popular Fly-Fishing
Podcast

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast, featuring well-known fly-fishing author Tom
Rosenbauer, has hit the 2 million-download mark. Produced in Manchester VT since
2008 by Orvis, the podcast features a wide range of instructional information
and fly-fishing tips for both the novice and the more seasoned angler. Topics
range from Tips on Leaders to advice on Getting the Kids and Teens
Interested in Fly Fishing. More than 120 podcasts are available for free at
www.orvis.com/podcast
and can also be found on iTunes. The show has iTunes’ highest-possible five-star
rating.

The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide
Podcast has evolved over the years, as a result of the feedback the show has
received from the thousands of anglers who listen every day. Tom Rosenbauer
says, “In 2008 we started with fifteen-minute segments on many of the basics. As
our audience grew and provided feedback on what they wanted out of the show, we
have added more segments and covered topics we could not have imagined without
them. Some of our episodes now reach up to well over an hour. I never thought
people would actually want to listen to me for that long, let alone for over 120
episodes, but we have a lot of fun doing this and I think our listeners pick up
on that.”

Those with questions they want
answered about fly fishing, and would like to have Tom answer on the show, are
encouraged to email The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast at podcast@orvis.com, post on
Facebook.com/orvisflyfishing or on The Orvis Company’s blog at OrvisNews.com.

About
Orvis

Founded in 1856, Orvis pioneered
the mail-order industry in the United States; operates more than 80 retail
stores in the U.S. and the U.K., including its flagship store in Manchester, VT;
and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide. Orvis donates five
percent of pre-tax profits each year to protecting nature. You can read more
about Orvis on their website at www.orvis.com.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) are
teaming up this year to offer an exclusive discount to Pirates fans with fishing
licenses.

“During the baseball season, 2012 fishing
license holders are eligible to purchase discounted tickets and receive a free
custom, limited-edition Pirates ball cap with each PNC Park game ticket,” said
Ted Walke, chief of the PFBC’s division of outreach. “The offer is good for
outfield box tickets on any day of baseball, with the exception of opening day
and Saturday games.”

The Pirates will open their season at PNC
Park on April 5. This special offer will begin on Sunday, April 8, when the
Pirates take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a 1:35 p.m.
game.

Each fan who takes advantage of the offer
will receive an outfield box ticket and a limited-edition ball cap for only $21,
a $3 discount. Each ticket is good for one high-quality, blue camouflage pattern
cap made especially for the Fish and Boat Commission.

The promotional offer is good for advance
ticket purchases only. Visit the Pirates web site at www.pirates.com for a seating
chart. Fans can complete an order form on the
PFBC website and mail it to the Pirates office or fax it to 412.325.4410. Phone
orders cannot be accepted. The online form (with more details) can be found at:
http://fishandboat.com/promo/2012events/pirates-mag-form.pdf.

NOAA Fisheries announced that they are authorizing Idaho, Oregon and Washington to permanently remove specific California sea lions have that eaten between one-and-a-half and four percent of returning adult salmon at the Columbia River's Bonneville Dam each year during the past eight years.

The majority of the fish eaten were spring Chinook or steelhead, and almost a third of the salmon and steelhead eaten by the sea lions are from stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act.

This authorization will allow the states to target only individual sea lions that continue to eat salmon after deterrence methods have proven unsuccessful. The states may euthanize individually identified California sea lions if no permanent holding facility, typically aquariums, for them can be found.

The current population of California sea lions is almost 300,000, and biologists estimate that more than 9,000 animals could be removed from that population through human-caused actions such as ship strikes or entanglement in fishing nets without harming the species. Typically about 430 California sea lions die from human-caused actions each year.

For several years, NOAA’s Fisheries Service and state, tribal and other federal agencies have tried a wide range methods to deter the sea lions from eating the salmon, including using firecrackers and rubber buckshot, to discourage the sea lions from foraging at the dam. These efforts have been largely unsuccessful.

This authorization is in respose to a request last summer from the three states to “lethally remove” predatory sea lions under a provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Good news for the endangered salmon and steelhead. Not so good news for the non endangered, growing population of California sea lions.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) has put up a new web page that lists the waters they propose for listing as wild trout water.

Dave Miko, chief of the PFBC’s Division of Fisheries Management explains, “The wild trout designation is a
biological classification which indicates that a stream is producing and
sustaining a natural trout population.” He adds, “It’s important because streams with this designation, and their associated
wetlands, are entitled to greater regulatory protection.”

The PFBC and cooperating partners have sampled the waters on the list and feel they meet all the criteria to come under their Class A wild trout stream designation.

Before these streams become officially listed the board of commissioners have to approve it. On the top of their web page is a link for Streams Officially Proposed for Listing This is where you want to go to make your comments. Comments are accepted for 60 days from the date the proposal is posted.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

NOAA Fisheries is trying to persuade 1,900 Massachusetts recreational anglers not to fish this season, well maybe bribe is a better word.

The reasoning behind this experiment is to try and measure the value of sport fishing to anglers. The payoffs go from $15 to $500 per angler and for the cash they have to surrender their saltwater fishing permit. Federal officials claim the results will help them measure the potential loss to anglers in the case of environmental disasters like oil spills and the like.

Anglers who have registered for a 2012 saltwater fishing permit are being randomly selected to receive either a check, an offer or a survey asking how much they'd be willing to pay for a permit. The idea is to compare the scenarios and come up with a dollar value of what anglers are willing to pay to go fishing.

Scott Steinback is the NOAA economist who came up with the idea. He feels that the survey and its cost are likely to result in puzzlement, or worse. So the question becomes why is NOAA spending the $145,000 the survey is expected to cost?

Many recreational fisherman are skeptical that the survey will be used to increase permit fees, something that NOAA and Massachusetts denies. Others have stated that if it were offered to them they'd take the money and fish anyway.

Even if the governments intentions are indeed noble, to me this whole survey is flawed from the start. NOAA should scrap the whole thing and save the $145,000.

World Fishing Network, North America's only 24-hour fishing
lifestyle network, and The Orvis Company, North America's leading
outdoor retailer since 1856, are teaming up to teach people all the
essentials they need to start fly fishing. Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing,
hosted by respected author and angler Tom Rosenbauer, kicks off a
13-consecutive week run on Tuesday, March 13, at 9:00 pm ET, teaching
viewers the fundamentals of fly fishing for all species in all waters.

Friday, March 09, 2012

An unusual social sciences study just getting underway in Massachusetts
will measure the value of the recreational saltwater fishing experience
by surveying those who actually go fishing or plan to go fishing in
2012.

Most economic studies of saltwater recreational fishing
estimate the number of jobs and the amount of sales and income
supported by the spending of saltwater recreational fishermen in the
state, but have not included the value anglers themselves place on
being able to go saltwater fishing.

“Being able to improve evaluation methods by comparing
responses to real offers with responses to hypothetical offers will be a
great benefit, and that’s what this study is intended to give us,”
said Scott Steinback, the NOAA economist who designed the study.
“Studies like this have been done to value other kinds of intangible
benefits like recovering endangered species or valuing open space, but I
think this is the first time it has been used to value the pleasure
and satisfaction derived from recreational fishing,” he said.

The resulting data will thus allow researchers to validate and
improve frequently used economic evaluation methods by gathering data
from anglers themselves about the value they place on recreational
fishing, a topic Steinback has studied for about 20 years.

Dan Ariely, a professor of behavioral economics at Duke
University, called the recreational saltwater fishing permit survey a
very interesting and important study that could benefit many other
fields of research.

“For a long time, we have been doing studies asking people for
their intuition, what they believe will happen. In this particular
case, the study is going to contrast beliefs to actual decisions -
actual decisions when the money is in front of you. Hypothetical
questions and how we respond to them is central to a lot of other
questions,” Ariely said. “If we find that there are substantial biases
between these approaches, it would be easy to conduct more hypothetical
studies to get a sense for what would be the response if they saw it
in front of them.”

The survey is being managed by Quantech, Inc, a statistical
analysis and survey research firm, for NOAA Fisheries Service and the
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, which maintains the state’s
recreational saltwater fishing permit registry. The state is providing
a list of randomly selected recreational fishing permit holders who
will be mailed the survey. Participation is voluntary and individual
information is confidential.

NOAA Fisheries has allocated $145,000 to conduct the study,
about $75,000 of which is set aside for cash incentives being offered
to 500 of the 1,900 randomly selected permit holders to help determine
the value people place on access to saltwater angling.

The survey involves three “treatments” or survey approaches.
The first treatment, being mailed to 500 people, includes a written
survey plus an actual check in an amount ranging between $15 and $500
that can be cashed in exchange for the recipient giving up their
Massachusetts saltwater angling permit for the remainder of 2012.

The second treatment, being mailed to 700 anglers, includes a
survey with hypothetical cash incentives offered in the same varying
amounts as those offered in the first treatment but without an actual
check in that amount enclosed. The third treatment, being mailed to 700
people, includes the same survey but asks the recipient what amount
they would be willing to pay; the amounts to choose from are the same
as those in the other treatments.

The first surveys were mailed February 23, 2012 and will
continue monthly through May. Those receiving the survey are notified
in advance of the initial mailing to explain the importance of the
study, why it is being conducted, and who is conducting it.

Those who receive checks can cash them at any time during a
specified time period, approximately 45 days after they receive the
check, but in return are asked to give back their 2012 permit. Mailings
remind recipients to think carefully before responding.

Steinback and other NOAA economists will compare the rates of
acceptance between the real and the hypothetical offers to evaluate
differences between the approaches and to, ultimately, calculate the
total dollar value anglers place on recreational fishing in
Massachusetts waters.

Steinback says the focus of the study is about measuring the
value of recreational fishing in Massachusetts, and not about an
attempt to raise fishing permit fees or prohibit people from enjoying
the recreational saltwater fishing experience.

“I understand if there are some questions and concerns because
this kind of survey has not been done before, but it is not about
taking anything away. Rather, I see it as a way to provide a monetary
estimate of ‘angler satisfaction’,” he said. “Recreational anglers
spend a lot of money to enjoy their passion, and this study will allow
us to place a value on the level of satisfaction anglers receive, above
and beyond their out of pocket costs. It is a return on investment for
everyone: we want to provide the best possible information to enable
them to continue to do so.”

“I am a big fan of the endowment effect: once people own
something they think about it very differently,” said Ariely, who also
serves as a visiting professor at MIT’s Program in Media Arts and
Sciences. “The fact that government agencies are collaborating and
doing some experiments or studies like this permit survey rather than
relying on intuition or hypothetical responses is a positive thing.”

Friday, March 02, 2012

Well, according to a table of fish length vs. weight put out by the New York Department of Environmental Protection, the scales are tipped in favor of the brown trout who comes in at 4 lbs 12 oz. while a walleye is a light weight at 4lbs 1 oz. As you'd expect, largemouth bass are the husky guys weighing in at 7 lbs 5 oz. at the same 23 inch length.

The scale was devised by using average weights of fish sampled across NY so you can expect local variations. I wonder if anyone fishes where the skinny fish live?

Anyway, below are the tables that will let you give it your best guesstaweight prior to releasing your catch.

The
Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, or MAFAC, advises the Secretary of
Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the
responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The committee members
draw on their expertise to evaluate and recommend priorities and needed
changes in national programs and policies, including the periodic re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Endangered Species Act and
Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The Marine Fisheries Advisory Committeeispart of NOAA and works to ensure the nation’s marine policies and programs meet the needs of fishing, environmental, academic, state, tribal, consumer, and other related stakeholders.

The addition of these seven members brings the committee to its full compliment of 21 members.

The new members are:

Julie Bonney, Kodiak, Alaska:
Ms. Bonney is the Owner and Executive Director of Alaska Groundfish
Data Bank, a consulting, research, management and public relations firm
specializing in fisheries and related issues. Her current and past
appointments include membership on three North Pacific Fishery
Management Council committees, the Kodiak Fishery Advisory Committee,
and University of Alaska Fishery Industry Technology Center Review
Committee. She is a board member of the Alaska Sea Life Center, Marine
Conservation Alliance, and the Alliance’s Foundation.

Richen (Dick) M. Brame, Wilmington, North Carolina: Mr.
Brame is the Atlantic States Fisheries Director of the Coastal
Conservation Association and member of the MAFAC Recreational Fishing
Working Group. Prior affiliations are with the Izaak Walton League,
North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Pennsylvania Federation of
Sportsmen's Clubs, and Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation.

Michele Longo Eder, Newport, Oregon: Ms.
Eder is an attorney who has been practicing law in Oregon coastal
communities for over 25 years. She is also the owner/principal of
commercial fish harvesting and seafood businesses. Her current and past
appointments include a Presidential appointment to the U.S. Arctic
Research Commission and an appointment to the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee. She is
also a member of the North Pacific Research Board, the Consortium for
Ocean Leadership, and several committees under the Pacific Fishery
Management Council.

Elizabeth (Liz) Hamilton, Oregon City, Oregon: Ms.
Hamilton is the founding Executive Director of the Northwest
Sportfishing Industry Association, a trade organization of over 300
sportfishing-related businesses. Her current and prior work includes
membership on State of Oregon, Governor-appointed salmon recovery and
forestry-related boards. She is also the State of Oregon’s advisor to
the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and a member of several
committees under the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Micah McCarty, Neah Bay, Washington: Mr.
McCarty is Chairman of the Makah Tribal Council and a Treaty fisherman,
tribal artist, and activist. He is also a Makah Whaling Commissioner,
an appointed member of the Governance Coordinating Committee to the
National Ocean Council, and a member of a number of regional bodies,
including the Intergovernmental Policy Council. Mr. McCarty also
testifies regularly before the State of Washington, Federal Government
Commissions and Senate and House Congressional Committees.

Robert Rheault, Wakefield, Rhode Island: Dr.
Rheault is the Executive Director of East Coast Shellfish Growers
Association. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Rhode
Island Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Veterinary Services and
holds leadership positions in the National Shellfisheries Association
and in the Ocean State Aquaculture Association.

Pamela Yochem, San Diego, California: Dr.
Yochem is the Senior Scientist and Executive Vice President of the
Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute. She is affiliated faculty at the
Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis and an
adjunct professor of biology at the University of San Diego. Her current
work includes membership on the Advisory Board and Scientific Advisory
Committee for California’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

MAFAC, is
the only federal advisory panel charged with making recommendations to
NOAA and the Secretary of Commerce on the department’s living marine
resource responsibilities. MAFAC members represent commercial and
recreational fisheries interests, environmental organizations, academic
institutions, tribes, and consumer groups from a balance of U.S.
geographical regions.

Established
in 1971, MAFAC consists of 15 to 21 individuals who are selected
through a comprehensive public recruitment process. Member terms are
three years, and members may serve two consecutive terms. MAFAC meets
twice a year with supplementary subcommittee meetings as determined
necessary by the chair.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

The Quebec Government just came out with a report that shows Atlantic salmon returns for the Gaspé region were up a remarkable 21% in 2011. There's even more good news reported; the average number of returning fish from 2006 to 2010 was also up by an astounding 49%!

“This is encouraging news,” said Bill Taylor, President of the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) “and confirms the anecdotal reports from anglers
that resounded throughout the season last year. Quebec is the first
province to report, and we expect similar information from regions
throughout eastern Canada.”

More fish returning also means better spawning success and last season the estimated number of salmon on the spawning grounds of the Gaspé
rivers actually exceeded the minimum recruitment numbers for all the salmon rivers on the Gaspé Peninsula.